Cervical brace



A. H. BREESE CERVICAL BRACE Sept. 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21

INVENTOR. ALLAN B22555 A TO R N E-YS A. H. BREESE CERVICAL BRACE Sept. 17, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet-Z Filed Sept. 21, 1953 -J INVENTOR.

BY ALLAN BREESE p 7, 1957 A. HJBREESE' 2,806,471

CERVICAL BRACE Filed Sept 21, 1953 '3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ALLAN Bmssse I v ,BYWWMQ ATTORNEYS CERVICAL BRACE Allan H. Breese, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 21, 1953, Serial No. 381,224

Claims. (Cl. 128-87) This invention relates to a device 'for the treatment of cervical spine injuries, principally fractures and dislocations, and is particularly concerned with a lightweight pneumatic collar of special construction to be worn by a patient for positively but comfortably maintaining his head in a desired position relative to his body.

This is an improvement over the Schreiber cervical collar disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,389,690 and constitutes a further development of that type of collar with attendant increased advantages over the prior traction and other cervical hyperextension devices described in that patent.

It is the major object of this invention to provide a collar for the treatment of spine injuries and the like embodying novel structural detail and association with the head and body of the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel single length specially contracted pneumatic section treatment collar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel pneumatic collar device having special upper and lower body and head contacting chamber portions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a head support collar having a novel arrangement of upper and lower pneumatic portions. I

Further objects of the invention will presently appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a collar constructed according to preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to the neck of a patient.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the collar of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the collar of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the collar of Figure 1 illustrating the flexible strap for securing it around the patients neck and illustrating the air admission intake which may be located at any suitable place along the collar;

Figure 5 is a section substantially on .line 5-5 of Figure 2 showing the pneumatic chamber construction;

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 2 showing further details of the pneumatic chamber construction;

Figure 7 is an interior elevation of the collar member uncoiled to display the pneumatic chamber and stiffener section arrangements;

Figure 8 is an elevation of a collar member according to a further embodiment of the invention wherein the upper head contacting supports are provided by two pneumatic cells that are in communication with the lower cell which is the same as in the first embodiment;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a collar according to Figure 8;

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are illustrative sectional views on lines 1010, 1111 and 12-12 respectively, showing ditferent sizes of the air chamber at different areas of the collar of Figure 8.

States Patent 0 My novel collar is an air bag preferably made of rubber either natural or synthetic or rubberized fabric or other air tight flexible material.

Referring to Figure 7, the collar consists essentially of the air bag 11 and the continuous stiffener member 12 secured together in novel relation. The air bag is a single length of rubber tubing which has its opposite ends vulcanized closed and air tight at 13 and 14. The

stiflener member 12 is a flat non-inflatable strip built up of two or more layers of material vulcanized or otherspaced from the closed ends. air bag are vulcanized to the stiffener member 12 throughout the area of stiffener member 12 so that, as illustratedv in Figure 7, a continuous inflatable air chamber 15 completely extends around the stiffened intermediate section. This air chamber has difierentcross-sections at different places for purposes to appear.

As shown in Figure 2, when the collar is coiled to closed position the ends taper to overlap without unduly increasing the overall collar thickness. The chamber 15 is inflated as by a suitable check valved inlet indicated at 16 and located at any suitable place on the outer periphery of the collar.

Exteriorly the collar is provided with a series of loops 17 which retain and guide an adjustable belt 18 having a buckle 19. When the strap is drawn tight it backs and reenforces the stiifened intermediate section of the collar without unduly compressing any part of the air chamber 15.

Referring again to Figure 7, the stiffened non-inflatable area indicated at 12 is considerably enlarged in depth for the longitudinal section indicated at 21, which section when the collar is on a patient is located over the patients left shoulder. A similar enlarged depth of the stiffened area is provided for the longitudinal section 22, which section is located over the patients right shoulder.

These enlarged areas of the stiffened section produce decreased diameter air chamber sections above and below them as indicated at 23, 24, 25 and 26. This facilitates bending of the collar over the patients shoulders.

The stiffened areas of lesser depth indicated at 27 and 28 each have an additional stiffener element 29 and 30 vulcanized or otherwise secured therein. These elements 29 and 30 are preferably non-bending inserts for a purpose to be described.

Below area 27 the air chamber cross-section at 31 remains equal to that at 24 and 26. Above area.27 the air chamber cross-section at 32 is much larger than at 23 and 25, and this air chamber section 32 supports the patients occiput. The air chamber section 31 passes over the back of the patients neck.

Above and below stiffened area 28, the air chamber cross-sections at 33 and 34 are increased, with the upper chamber diameter being equal to that at 32 and the lower chamber diameter somewhat smaller. The air chamber section 33 fits under the chin of the patient.

In use the collar of Figures 1-7 is coiled to surround the patients neck and positioned so that the larger air chamber section 33 firmly supports and cushions the patients chin and the air chamber section 32 firmly supports and cushions the patients occiput. The areas 27 and 28 which are so stiffened as to be non-bending serve to keep the chin and occiput support pillows straight for several inches so that there can be no bending of the collar in those places. Bending is facilitated at the areas 21 and 22. Preferably the overlapped ends of the collar are disposed between the patients right shoulder and his chin.

My novel collar with its special thickened stifiened areas is everywhere highly resistant to vertical collapse so that the collar itself is a self-supporting unit. When Patented Sept. 17, 1957 belt 18 is tightened this secures the entire collar unit in proper place about the patients neck and a single standard length of collar will suflice for nearly all normal neck sizes, and no special adjustments to size are needed. The belt is simply pulled tight enough to properly localize the collar under the chin and the back of the patients head and all of the other parts are automatically properly oriented.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 8-10,. the air bag 35 is attached to the stiifener member 12 as in the embodiment of Figures 1-7 and the stiffened area is also surrounded by a continuous air chamber 36. The lower part of, this assembly which contacts the patients neck and shoulders is the same in this embodiment, but the upper chamber cross-section is ditferent in that the chamber sections 37 and 38- supporting the chin and occiput respectively are enlarged considerably with respect to the chamber sections 39 and 40 at the bending regions of the collar. This embodiment has somewhat increased cushioning by reason of the enlarged pillows in contact with the patients head. The relative cross-section sizes can be secured by selective vulcanization of the rubber or like air bag to the stiffener 12.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letter Patent is: g

1. A cervical brace for the treatment of neck and spine injuries or the like comprising a single length flexible member having overlapped ends and adapted to encompass the neck of a patient, lower pneumatic cell means adapted to extend substantially entirely around the neck of the patient, upper pneumatic cell means adapted for underlying at least the chin and the occiput of the patient, a vertically stiifened longitudinal section of said member disposed between said upper and lower pneumatic cell means, means on said member for inflating said cell means, and adjustable means on said member for tightening said collar to fit the neck of the patient upon which it is mounted.

2. In the cervical brace defined in claim 1, said upper and lower cell means being interconnected so as to provide a continuous air chamber surrounding said stiffened section.

3. In the cervical brace defined in claim 1, said memher being made of rubber or like resilient air tight ma: terial.

4. In a cervical brace for the treatment of neck and spine injuries or the like, a single length flexible member having overlapped ends and adapted to encompass the neck of a patient, lower pneumatic cell means adapted for extending substantially entirely around the neck of the patient, upper pneumatic cell means also extending substantially entirely around the neck of the patient and having enlarged cross-section regions adapted for supporting the chin and the back of the head of the patient, a vertically stiffened continuously longitudinal section of said member disposed between said upper and lower pneumatic cell means, said section being so stiffened in the region normally, adapted to be located below the patients neck as to render the brace non-bending there, but being bendable intermediate those regions so as to be adapted to coil about the patients neck to form a collar, means on said collar for attaching a source of fluid pressure for inflating said cell means, and adjustable means on said member for tightening said collar to fit the neck of the patient upon which it is mounted.

5. A cervical brace for the treatment of neck and spine injuries or the like comprising a single length flexible member having overlapped ends and adapted to encompass the neck of a patient, said brace comprising a flexible tube with its opposite ends sealed air tight and an intermediate area of its side walls sealed together so as to provide an intermediate non-inflatable region that extends substantially longitudinally of the brace and an inflatable air chamber entirely surrounding said region longitudinally of the brace, and a longitudinally flexible but vertically bending resistant stifiener member secured in reenforcing relation with said area internally of the brace, said region being shaped to provide enlarged cross-section cushions in said air chamber adapted for underlying the patients chin and occiput, means in said stifiener member to prevent longitudinal bending of said brace at said cushions, means on said brace for attaching a source of fluid pressure for inflating said cell means, and adjustable means on said brace for tightening said brace to adapt it to fit the neck of the patient upon which it is mounted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,314 Malmqvist a June 16, 1903 1,026,172 OBrien May 14, 1912 1,425,475 Heath Aug. 8, 1922 2,725,054 Harpel Nov. 29, 1955 

